The Syrian ambassador's invitation to the royal wedding was withdrawn at the 11th hour yesterday amid continuing controversy over the guest list.

Foreign Secretary William Hague told Sami Khiyami that his presence at Westminster Abbey – which had been branded 'bordering on grotesque' by Labour MPs – was no longer acceptable.

The Foreign Office held emergency talks with Buckingham Palace after the Daily Mail revealed that the red carpet was being rolled out for Dr Khiyami, whose government is said to have killed 400 peaceful protesters in recent weeks.

The Queen receiving the Syrian Ambassador when he presented his diplomatic credentials at Buckingham Palace. Today, Dr Sami Khiyami's inivation to her grandson's wedding was dramatically withdrawn

The withdrawal of his invitation was
widely welcomed in Westminster, but failed to dampen unease over the
1,900-strong guest list for today's ceremony.

Several senior ministers privately
expressed bemusement that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had been excluded
from the occasion, while representatives of several foreign governments
with dubious track records had been invited.

Announcing the withdrawal of Dr Sami Khiyami's invitation, the Foreign Office said: 'Representatives of countries with which the UK has normal diplomatic relations have been invited to the wedding.

'An invitation does not mean endorsement or approval of the behaviour of any government, simply that we have normal diplomatic relations with that country.

'In the light of this week's attacks against civilians by the Syrian security forces, which we have condemned, the Foreign Secretary has decided that the presence of the Syrian Ambassador at the Royal Wedding would be unacceptable and that he should not attend.

'Buckingham Palace shares the view of the Foreign Office that it is not considered appropriate for the Syrian Ambassador to attend the wedding.'

The inclusion of ambassadors of pariah states including Iran, North Korea and Zimbabwe has been described as 'mind-boggling'.

While ministers advised the Palace
that invitations should go to representatives of all governments with
which Britain has diplomatic relations, they were not consulted on the
decision to exclude Mr Blair and Mr Brown.

Mr Hague is said to be among members
of the Cabinet who believe the two former Labour prime ministers should
have been invited. Sir John Major and Lady Thatcher have been invited as
members of the Order of the Garter.

Royal officials insist that the
wedding is not a full state occasion, meaning there is no need to follow
the protocol followed at Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's
nuptials in 1981. Then, all five surviving former prime ministers were
invited.

Former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw yesterday became the most senior politician to publicly criticise the decision.

'I frankly was surprised that two former Prime Ministers were not invited,' Mr Straw said.

'I think that, reviewing the way the
guest list has worked out in retrospect, the decision-makers probably
would have made some different decisions.'

Dr Khiyami said he found the sudden
withdrawal of his invitation to the wedding 'a bit embarrassing' but
claimed he was not surprised.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said: 'In the light of this week's attacks against civilians by the
Syrian security forces…the Foreign Secretary has decided that the
presence of the Syrian ambassador at the royal wedding would be
unacceptable and that he should not attend.'

The statement added that Buckingham Palace shared the view of the Foreign Office.

A tank moves through the city of Daraa in Syria. The country's government has been warned it faces war crimes prosecutions and last night ordered in more tanks to crush an uprising said to have cost the lives of 500 peaceful protesters

Protesters are seen holding placards during a demonstration in Douma, Syria, earlier this month. A Syrian human rights organisation today claimed the country's security forces have killed at least 500 civilians in a crackdown

The university where Prince William
and Kate Middleton met as undergraduates was last night reviewing
potentially embarrassing links with the Syrian dictatorship.

The review at St Andrews University
began after it emerged yesterday that it had taken more than £100,000 in
funding from a charity closely associated with the regime.

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It was used to establish a centre for
Syrian studies, with the aid of the Syrian ambassador Dr Khiyami, and
the father-in-law of the country's hereditary dictator Bashar al-Assad,
cardiologist Fawaz Akhras.

But after suggestions that such
funding could have influenced scrutiny of a police state that faces
global condemnation, the university is examining the centre's work.

Invited: Lady Thatcher and Sir John Major, both former Conservative PMs have both received invites

Snubbed: Labour MPs have been angered by the Palace's decision to exclude former PMs Gordon Brown and Tony Blair

The donation was made in 2006. It
came from Syrian-born businessman Ayman Asfari, who is based in Britain,
and runs Petrofac, an oil and gas services company with offices in
London and Aberdeen which works in partnership with the Syrian
government.

Tory MP Robert Halfon said: 'The
danger is that you get compromised by the amount of money, and it
inevitably influences your outlook on the Middle East.'

A university spokesman insisted the
Syrian studies centre had carried out valid and rigorous work which
aided understanding of the regime but accepted 'recent events' meant it
would be reviewed.

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